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OLAFUR ARNALDS (iceland) @ PEACOCK VISUAL ARTS, MON 10TH DEC


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im very excited about this one....another 'Audrey' moment me thinks!.... :popcorn:

Beautiful in the same way the Antartica is

Fragile, emotional, classical indie music would maybe be the best term to describe lafur Arnalds music. Combining classical instrumentation with an indierock aesthetic there are obvious comparisons to Sigur Ros, but Arnalds is sculpting his own epic, string-laden compositions.

lafur is just 20 years old, hails from the suburbian town Mosfellsbr, just a few kilometers out of Reykjavk. Besides his soloproject, lafur plays drums in two hardcore bands, Fighting Shit (whom some of you may have seen at dr drakes a few years back...they were amazing!) and Celestine, and he also plays piano, banjo, guitar and drums in his friends soloproject, My Summer as a Salvation Soldier. His first solo album, Eulogy for Evolution, has been highly praised by the media and local music fans in Iceland and has already created quite a buzz around Europe and even all the way to Japan despite several delays of its release. The album is finally being released in Europe, USA and Japan by Progression Records and in the UK by Erased Tapes Records in autumn 2007

lafur recently supported american indie-rock band Cursive on a tour around Germany. Despite the musical differences of the two bands, the tour went really well and the audiences were amazed by the unexpected slow-building and hauntingly melodic chamber music, accompanied by electronic ambience, loops and sometimes heavy electronic beats.

you can check out 3 tracks from the upcoming album here

MySpace.com - Olafur Arnalds - Mosfellsbaer, IS - Classical / Indie - www.myspace.com/olafurarnalds

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just a few reviews kicking about ;)

'A majestic debut album! Achingly beautiful classical indie from Iceland!' (7/10) Rock Sound

'Iceland's best new export comes in the shape of Eulogy For Evolution!'

Clash Magazine

'An auspicious debut from a promising young talent.' (7/10) Drowned In Sound

'A series of orchestral movements that pull the heartstrings like a marionette. Hamlet la headphones, but prettier.' (8/10)

The Silent Ballet

'I had this for dinner!' Guardian

'Arnalds work is brave, unique and defiantly outr. True to its name, Eulogy for Evolution is enough to send creationists running to Darwin.'

(9/10) CD Times

'One of the most intelligent, well-crafted and utterly beautiful records of the year.'

In It For The Money Zine

'If you thought Sigur Rs had the patent on hauntingly beautiful and meticulously compelling music coming out of Iceland, then lafur Arnalds is here to educate you otherwise.' UK Music Search

'Gentle, epic, beautiful, visceral, masterful and utterly essential. Juxtapositions fully intended.' (5/5) Is This Music?

'lafur Arnalds is definitely going places on the strength of this album.' Oban FM (Scotland)

'Arnalds' highly cinematic approach has that same instantly digestible quality that Johannsson, and for that matter Max Richter, are able to tap into. Gorgeous!'

Boomkat Records

'One of my favourites this year!'

Radio 100 (NL)

'Album of the week'

Urban Desire (GER)

'Best debut Ive heard in a long time'

(4/5) Rjominn (IS)

(4.5/5) Poisonfree.com

(4/5) Morgunblai (IS)

(9/10) Sound Mag (GER)

(8.5/10) Rock Hard (GER)

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aye, apparently its the space right next to the fuxxxng massive Save The Lemon Tree donations bucket (he he)

ps don't monopolise it, twojoe is going around with it!!!!!!!!!!

I'll be flipping it upside down and using it as a seat. I never used to get one at the LT so they are due me... ;)

I am so looking forward to this gig. I'll be getting in from Dundee around 5 and will need some cleansing ;)

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If anyone is up for grabbing an early pint in Blackfriars before heading across to Peacock then just say the word. I'll likely be in there anyway priming my head with a glass or two of red for the sounds. Been a while since I had this level of anticipation before a gig. Think the last time was waiting for the 2nd half of the Micah P Hinson gig at the Tunnels, oh and The Low Lows o_O Be making up for that one in spring! hehehe

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Awwwww maaaann. That was one of the loveliest shows i've been to in ages. Absolutely gorgeous. The Herzog set was some of the best idm/electroniwhateveryouwannacallit i've heard in ages (and thanks again for the CD-R, Mr Herzog!), really amazing stuff.

Olafur was just perfect. From start to finish. I think it was the second last track that was my favourite. The one when the glitchy drums built up and up and up. Cripes, it was good. The piano/strings section reminded me a lot of Max Richter's work, but i guess you're always going to get similarities in such an area of music. And, although tired, i think they enjoyed themselves!

My only complaint was needing the toilet for about half of his/their set, and with sitting at the front, i felt i could hardly interrupt the the proceedings to take a much needed piss.

Again, Peacock's was the perfect venue. It's really something that makes Aberdeen different to Glasgow and Edinburgh (and the drink is so cheap!).

Here are some pretty bad pictures that have been resized so they're not annoying:

olafur1-1.jpg

olafur4-1.jpg

olafur5-1.jpg

olafur6-1.jpg

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Brilliant. Absolutely superb.

Wasn't too keen on Herzog, that stuff just doesn't grab me I guess. Some nice touches though.

Olafar and his children as he called them, were simply amazing. The atmosphere was perfect (fairy lights and a string section, what could go wrong?) and the music was sublime.

Hope they managed to get lots of sleep before driving to Oxford today!

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